10 Tips For The Starting Fashion Photographer

A lot of photography students ask me how to start into fashion photography, so in this post I will share my 10 best tips on how to get started!

Know the fashion industry and trends

By reading fashion magazines and websites you make sure that you are updated about the latest trends, shows and important people in the fashion industry.

Choose the right equipment that suits your style

I prefer prime lenses because of their sharpness and their awesome aperture (like F 1.2 or 1.4 or 1.8). Another great feature of prime lenses is that they force                    me to move around the model to get the best composition because I’m not able to zoom in. This also makes a shoot more dynamic in my opinion, especially on location. In the studio I think a zoomlens is very useful. Also with the camera you have to figure out what suits you the best. A heavy DSLR camera or a small system camera that is also great for traveling? And do you need studio flashes or is your style very natural, so daylight must be enough?

get the most out of your collaboration

Communication is the most important part of a fashion shoot! Tell your model and your team what you expect from them. Read more about directing models in my other blog post. Show your moodboard to your team and tell what kind of light you are using so the makeup artist knows what to do with the makeup and the model knows where the light is coming from to get the best out of her poses. Show the photos on your camera or computer screen so everybody can see if they need to change anything for the best results.

dare to experiment

Don’t plan everything before a shoot. The most awesome photos are the ones that I didn’t plan exactly. For example a shoot where I didn’t visited the location before, or the moment when there are beautiful shadows against a wall that I could use as a background or great unexpected movements from the model that result in good photos. Try some different light, poses or locations and just see what will happen!

Shoot as much as possible and work with different teams

When doing many fashion shoots, so are able to grow your techniques and you will discover your own style by noticing what shoots/styles you liked the most.

share your work on social media

I know that it can be scary to share your first photos on social media, but it can be very useful to ask about their opinion. Also keep in mind that you are your own brand as a photographer. So be aware of posting party photos every week on your social media accounts if you want to reach your ideal client. Show who you are and where you stand for, make it personal so people get to know the person behind your brand!

your network is very important

With the right connections in the fashion or photography industry you can get in touch with the magazines or brands you would like to work for!

don’t compare yourself to much to other photographers

‘Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20’. But it can be very helpful to watch the pro’s to see their workflow.

learn to work with studio/flashlights

As a fashion photographer it is important to master studio lights! Read more about fashion and portrait light shapers on this blog.

Have fun

Photography is a awesome hobby/job! Enjoy every shoot and keep shooting smiling!